What lifestyle gaming pics looked like in the 70s

Time warp to the retro ages and peruse some old-school imagery

Words: on March 20, 2009

Like most things about gaming, lifestyle photos that pretend to represent a snap shot of gaming life have changed dramatically over the last few decades. Thanks mostly to the Wii, our eyes are regularly offended by pretend perfect people pretending to play games in pretend perfect studio apartments. We find the whole thing putrid and distasteful. Here's a sick-making example of gaming through the lifestyle lens so you know what we're talking about.

Look at them. These people are not real.

But have these contrived glimpses of gaming life always been so offensively shitacular? To find out, we did some investigative journalism using Google image search and - presto! - discovered a wealth of old-school gaming lifestyle pics from the 70s. This is about as retro as it gets kids, so love it up. Let's time warp!

This stuff was so far in the future that it actually had to be played in outer space. Probably in a decompression chamber or something so their heads didn't explode like that bit in Total Recall.

Still in outer space, but this time with a splash of technicolour. And the dude is definitely checking out her tits.

Back in the day, lifestyle shots were actually representative of the real deal. Four men with hair helmets playing QuadraPong while a girl hangs about like a lonely fart would, we imagine, have been pretty much spot on.

This is gaming and foreplay all at the same time.

The fact that she's actually getting paid to pretend that she's interested in games still isn't enough for this 'Mom' to even pretend that she's even vaguely interested in games. Mom: "Games? Yes, very nice dear."

An artist's impression. Look at this while thinking of the theme from Shaft and you've got a pretty good impression of what the 70s was like.

Related

Platforms:

Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Wii, PC, PSP, DS, Xbox, GameCube

24 Comments
Order Comments: Newest First | Oldest First
  • NelosAngelos

    NelosAngelos  - 2 years, 10 months ago  - Report

    Photo shop cock here! Funniest thing I've seen all week. And ain't it the truth? Nothing but a bunch of damn robots with their plastic smiles and how good "casual" gaming is.
  • reyalejandro13

    reyalejandro13  - 2 years, 10 months ago  - Report

    If they had one for 360, it would be (from the don't actually show the game, just people playing it persepctive) 2-4 people, most likely guys, yelling obscenities at the screen while horrified parents are in the background.

    If it were PS3, it would be the same pick, but the people would look bored, and they would be saying "when does FF13 come out?" Or they would be saying "why are we playing PS3 when all our friends have 360's?"
  • gamerdude77

    gamerdude77  - 2 years, 10 months ago  - Report

    WTF he IS grabbing his moms tits in the last NES one!
  • jimsondanet

    jimsondanet  - 2 years, 10 months ago  - Report

    Videomaster: when a couple of body snatchers adopted some children of the corn.
    gaming ads should reflect the joyfull glee of experimenting with ragdoll physics while on a sunday drive through central park.
    "hey mum watch this!"
  • Spybreak8

    Spybreak8  - 2 years, 10 months ago  - Report

    Gotta love marketing and games. Nice find guys. I wonder what this and using Cooliris would look like, lol 70s game ads board.
  • gatornation1254

    gatornation1254  - 2 years, 10 months ago  - Report

    the channel f scared me
  • Hobojedi

    Hobojedi  - 2 years, 10 months ago  - Report

    Wow! There's a lot of funny captions in this article.
  • iKOemos

    iKOemos  - 2 years, 10 months ago  - Report

    That channel F guy is staring straight in to my soul.
  • Montag

    Montag  - 2 years, 10 months ago  - Report

    I remember looking like that!!

    Anyway I remember having my first woody (Hehe) atari. Weirdly my whole family did sit round it grinning like loons. Either the magic of games or we were inbred freaks with too small a genetic pool!

    reCaptcha: Coats $3 Million
  • zymn

    zymn  - 2 years, 10 months ago  - Report

    the last NES pic looks like the kittle boy is grabbin his mom tits.

    i suppose they didn't wean their kids very early in the 70s.
  • Cernunnos

    Cernunnos  - 2 years, 10 months ago  - Report

    @Monkey: you racist bastard! so all black people look alike, huh? next you'll be saying that that asian chick looked like Hideo Kojima...

    nah just kidding, that was my first thought too. the samuel l jackson, not kojima (though that would be way too many people's wet dream).

    was it just me or did those two siblings who shared "special love" look a little... odd. maybe their dad/uncle and mom/aunt did as well. hur-hur
  • Monkey

    Monkey  - 2 years, 10 months ago  - Report

    Does anyone else think the black guy in the Fairchild VES advert looks like a young Samuel L Jackson?

    ReCaptcha: husband system
  • noobmasteroftehworld

    noobmasteroftehworld  - 2 years, 10 months ago  - Report

    i don't think the moms wearing a one piece in the last pic, it's so high i think it's just a really long shirt
  • deathrebellion

    deathrebellion  - 2 years, 10 months ago  - Report

    @ zymn yup he is
  • italianboye23

    italianboye23  - 2 years, 10 months ago  - Report

    hey a really good web site for games and stuff is pixelsandgrids.com it is awsome!
  • somerandomchap

    somerandomchap  - 2 years, 10 months ago  - Report

    gaming ads should refelct real life, like when you are playing live with a mic and you have your loved one or someone close to you yelling at you to do stuff, and you responding with obsenities, while your good old team mates hear everyword
  • bloodfangz3

    bloodfangz3  - 2 years, 10 months ago  - Report

    lmao channel f that guy looks like he's been playing football..
  • VnT

    VnT  - 2 years, 10 months ago  - Report

    Wisdom I gleaned from this article: No matter what decade, asian girls are hot.
  • Pocotron

    Pocotron  - 2 years, 10 months ago  - Report

    haha reCaptcha was school ladies lol

    just wanted to throw that out theres
  • revrock

    revrock  - 2 years, 10 months ago  - Report

    Great Article! You guys constantly deliver the goods.
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